Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the world, but for many, it remains a “black box”—a concept filled with more hype and fear than understanding. As technologists, we have a responsibility not just to build these tools, but to explain them.
This September, I had the opportunity to serve as Staff for a transformative initiative at the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas (UNICACH).
The Mission: “AI from Scratch.”
From September 9th to 25th, we ran an intensive workshop titled “First Steps Towards New Digital Literacy.” The goal wasn’t to write complex code, but to demystify the technology for everyone.
In the Trenches of Education
Being on the Staff team is a unique experience. While the lectures provide the theory, the real learning happens in the rows of computers.
My role was to bridge the gap between the concept and the click. It involved guiding participants through their first interactions with LLMs, troubleshooting environment issues, and most importantly, watching the fear of the unknown turn into curiosity.
The New Literacy
We are moving past the era where “digital literacy” just meant knowing how to use a word processor. Today, it means understanding how to collaborate with intelligent systems.
Witnessing a diverse group of people—students, professionals, and curious minds—grasp the potential of AI was a powerful reminder of why Open Source and open knowledge matter.
It is not about the few controlling the technology; it is about the many understanding it.